Archives: Services

And Then There Was Laughter

Five years into being a widow with no grandchildren, children in their 50’s who didn’t need me, I (Carol Knox) felt compelled to write my autobiography which may be found at Eastrose. In order to feel like I had a purpose–for a while–and maybe even discover who I am now. After having realized how valuable it is … Continue reading And Then There Was Laughter

Mainstreaming Misogyny

Do women deserve rights and a voice in society? This quest has been a struggle for centuries. Two systems in our country shape an answer to this seemingly straightforward question. In one, we are fully entitled, and in the other, we’re not or we’re threatened to have whatever equality we currently have stripped away. Rabid … Continue reading Mainstreaming Misogyny

Open Your Arms If You Want to Be Held: A Sermon Towards Devotion

As Valentine’s Day approaches with its mythic view of romance, we’ll explore why it can be so difficult to give and receive love and how we can soften into the comforting hug just outside of our resistance. What might it mean to “have without holding?” Is devotion possible in our Maybe-I-Do world? How can we … Continue reading Open Your Arms If You Want to Be Held: A Sermon Towards Devotion

“James” and the Expectation of Blackness

In his acclaimed, Pulitzer Prize winning novel, “James,” Percival Everett offers us a compelling and provocative retelling of the Huck Finn story. Our title character, James, is the familiar “Jim” from the Twain tale, but he lives a double life here. As a slave, he speaks and behaves as “expected” by the culture around him. … Continue reading “James” and the Expectation of Blackness

A Chrysalis Year

When it comes to imagery for transformation, change, and reinvention, some people gravitate towards the metaphor of molting one’s skin to make room for a new one. I prefer the symbolism of the chrysalis that shelters a developing butterfly. We’re all destined to form and shed many chrysalises throughout our human lives. This morning, with … Continue reading A Chrysalis Year

Come Blow Your Whistle… Revisiting “On Tyranny”

Resistance in America takes many forms in 2026. One is the whistle brigade to prevent or interrupt ICE abductions. Chicagoans assembled 4000 ICE-watch whistle kits and the intervention is spreading. How do we fight back on the creeping authoritarianism in our country? In this sermon for Martin Luther King, Jr. Sunday, we’ll revisit Timothy Snyder’s … Continue reading Come Blow Your Whistle… Revisiting “On Tyranny”